ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA — Minnesota’s medical marijuana bill, S.F. 97, cleared its first major hurdle this afternoon, passing the Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee in a bipartisan vote of 8 to 3. The committee received spoken and written testimony from a number of patients and family members describing the relief provided by medical marijuana when conventional treatments had failed.
“I believe this will be the year medical marijuana becomes law in Minnesota,” said Sen. Steve Murphy (DFL-Red Wing), a sponsor of the bill. “We’ve seen now from the experiences of 13 states — one-quarter of the country — that these laws work well, and that the dire warnings of opponents simply don’t come true. The voters understand that there is no reason to subject suffering patients to arrest and jail for using a doctor-recommended medicine.”
One of those testifying was Joni Whiting of Jordan, a disabled Vietnam veteran who had strongly disapproved of marijuana use until her daughter was diagnosed with melanoma and began suffering unbearable nausea and pain from the treatments. “I was opposed to marijuana,” Whiting said, “but the nausea my daughter suffered from the chemotherapy was so bad she lost a lot of weight, and the pills the doctor prescribed didn’t help — including Marinol, the THC pill. Marijuana allowed her to eat and also helped ease her pain, and she looked better than I’d seen her in months. I would have rather spent the rest of my life in prison than have denied her the medicine that kept her pain at bay and allowed her to live 89 more days.”
“I’m pleased to co-author this important legislation that will empower doctors and patients while protecting sick and dying Minnesotans from the threat of criminal prosecution,” said Sen. Debbie Johnson (R-Ham Lake). “Most FDA-approved drugs assist in managing short-term pain. Chronically ill and terminal patients need alternatives. Medical marijuana is one of those alternatives.”
Written testimony from patients and others is available at http://www.minnesotacares.org/Health_Housing_and_Family_Security_Committee_Testimony.htm.
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god please let it pass. i am chronicly ill w a pain condition and have been for 4 years. a doctor has told me he is in support of medical use,but will not get involved in the state level fight. my only worry is our gov palenty (aka palenty-o-nuthin) will veto the bill as he has before. he has shown himself to be a heartless republican,but hey, everybody can change,but im not holding my breath. maybe when some of the neocons family members become ill they will understand. its a matter of compassion!!!
I’ll believe it when I see it, but it’s good that the US is starting to gain some common sense! I have rarely smoked pot because it’s just not for me, but believe in it’s positive effects it can have on people that are suffering… And don’t get me started on comparing it to cigarettes or alcohol…
GO Minnesota! I’m with you Rev..Other states around MN will hopefully follow their lead. (Iowa for example!)
one state line away…..please.